Scotland - Kings fail to shine but stay unbeaten

From sport.scotsman.com
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Despite a poor second half, which they lost by a point, Edinburgh Kings maintained their unbeaten record in this season's Scottish Basketball League with a 73-49 home success at Portobello over a Boroughmuir Blaze team which showed some promise of better results to come.

Having been comprehensively outplayed in the first quarter, after which they trailed 21-4, Blaze came more and more into the game, and when Kings' Australian star Brett Jefferies departed at half-time because of another commitment, a real buzz came into their play. Matt McGuire, with 13, Gus Santana, 12, and Paul Lacaze with ten, all hit double figures.

It was as well that Kings' skipper Kevin Anderson was in form, Anderson netting 20 points, but it took three second half three-pointers in a row from Kings recruit from East Lothian Sean Hume, who had 12 points in all, to put the home side in the comfort zone.

It had all begun so promisingly for Kings with Jefferies in an obvious hurry, scoring 11 points and giving numerous assists, and Simon Flockhart starting as he had finished against St Mirren the previous week.

But Flockhart appeared to tire badly and failed to add to his 12 first-half points, and, with point guard Garreth Lodge in foul trouble, the Kings' scoring machine failed to click, unlike their junior team, who overran St Mirren 85-47 beforehand, led by brothers Craig Reilly with 31 and Lee Reilly 18.

Few reputations could have been enhanced at Falkirk despite the presence of national team coach Iain Maclean, who will conduct a senior men's trial at Bathgate on Saturday.

Maclean watched a disappointing Fury vs East Lothian Buccaneers game in which Fury kept their unbeaten record with a 78-72 victory more by the lack of poise of their opponents than their own proficiency, though the former BBL "hot-shot" Keith Bunyan made the most of some mismatches in defence to score 24 points.

Teenager Daniel Donnelly, who now also sits on the Rocks bench in accordance with an agreement to encourage Scottish under-20 players, added 21 and Mark Duncan, who intimated after the Commonwealth Games last year that he was retiring from international basketball, top-scored with 26.

Grant Gibson, despite being badly out of touch in the first half, still top-scored 19 for Buccs, while Swedish centre Rob Jansson had 14 and Campbell Flockhart 11.

Buccs reduced the gap to single figures after being 20 points down, but were unable to keep up the pressure on the home side when it mattered, and, when Jansson fouled out, their chance was gone. Troon Tornadoes took care of Edinburgh University 90-57 at the Pleasance on Saturday.

Club president Chris McBrierty top-scored with 21, while Scott Walker added 11 and Liam McCabe nine. Ashley Holm had 20 for the visitors and Ross Campbell and Ifedade Thomas 14 each.